ATHENA Award goes to Fritschner

Friday

May 24, 2013 at 4:30 AM

The Rev. Annie Fritschner is the recipient of the sixth annual ATHENA award, presented today at Kenmure Country Club.

By Mark SchulmanTimes-News Staff Writer

FLAT ROCK — “This is extremely, extremely personal and meaningful to me,” a stunned Rev. Annie Fritschner told the crowd after receiving the ATHENA award Thursday at the annual Business and Professional Women's Luncheon at Kenmure Country Club.The sixth annual ATHENA award is presented in memory of Vanessa Y. Mintz, who Fritschner said was the first person she met in Henderson County 19 years ago. The award is given to an exemplary community leader in Henderson County who is the epitome of a professional leader and assists women to achieve their full leadership potential. Fritschner worked with Pardee Hospital, the Medical Resources Clinic, Mainstay's shelter for domestic violence victims, Four Seasons hospice, Habitat for Humanity and the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, ATHENA award committee member Mike Kai told the audience as he announced this year's eight nominees.Fritschner is minister of pastoral visitation at First United Methodist Church in Hendersonville and has been awarded the Outstanding Fund Raising Executive Award from the WNC chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals.She also helped raise money for domestic violence prevention and awareness about sexual and physical abuse impacting women in India, and helped uninsured and underinsured women with breast cancer. At a young age, Fritschner began volunteering at soup kitchens. She later trained in economic and urban studies at Connecticut College.“It is important to realize in every community in the country, there are wonderful women doing wonderful things in both the public and private sectors,” said former Gov. Beverly Perdue, keynote speaker at the luncheon.Perdue emphasized that leadership is earned.“You've got to show what you have within to influence others,” she said, adding that everyone should take time to celebrate leaders in their community. “This ATHENA award gives you all a chance to celebrate the lifetime work and commitment of ordinary people who have caused Hendersonville and the area to go through extraordinary change and impact the lives of others.”Nominees for the award were Maurean Adams, Children and Family Resource Center executive director; Marybeth Burns of Summit Marketing, owner and marketing coordinator; Julie Gordon, owner of Discover in Action; Melanie Matteson, Kimberly-Clark, operations analyst V; Shirley Palmer-Hill, owner of Wickwire Gallery; Janice Prichard, Henderson County human resource director; and Sissy Rogers, SELEE Corporation, vice president of human resources.The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce facilitated the ATHENA Leadership Award and Morris Broadband and Judy Stroud/State Farm Insurance sponsored the event.Reach Schulman at 828-694-7890 or mark.schulman@blueridgenow.com.

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